Build Guide_Cladding

A GUIDE TO CUSTOMISING YOUR HOME CLADDING

26 YEARS

Your home-build made easy with Australia’s leading home designer for 26 years.

YOU CAN’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER, OR CAN YOU???

Your choice of cladding is important and not just for the aesthetic reason of creating street appeal. Your choice of cladding can also affect your Energy Rating and Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating. Home-Build

Concierge offers a variety of options using

Weathertex™ Weatherboards, James Hardie™ Weatherboards, Colorbond, Blue board and PGH Bricks. You can create the look you’re after with the Energy and BAL compliance you need for a comfortable and safe home.

Brick, steel or weatherboard?

Which choice is right for you?

Brick offers the house owner a perceived strength and resistance to the elements and climate but the modern weatherboard and Colorbond cannot be overlooked.

All three materials offer good insulating properties when combined with recommended insulation options. Colorbond and brick along with a number of HardiPlank weatherboard varieties offer excellent BAL compliance when building in or near the bush.

Large sheets of weatherboard, blue board or Colorbond make for a faster install when compared to the time intensive expertise needed for bricklaying.

Weatherboard is lightweight and easy to work with. The lightweight of weatherboard, blue board and Colorbond also makes it ideal for elevated builds (pier / bearer and joist), whereas brick works perfectly on concrete slab builds.

It’s all about the look

Your choice of cladding will depend on the style or look you are trying to achieve. Are you wanting a modern, a classic, a traditional or a country look?

The modern look is all about straight, clean lines. This look can be achieved using a combination of cladding materials like brick, stone, weatherboard and Colorbond, all working in unison to give some contrast in finish and colour. Alternatively, the modern look could use a single material and colour to give a minimalist finish.

The classic look suits a brick facade while traditional and country looks suit the weatherboard facade with some decorative fretwork around windows, doors, posts and railings.

Style & substance

Affordability

Is it in your budget?

The cladding is one area of the house that really varies in cost of materials and labour. Bricks are heavy and require a dedicated truck with a forklift or crane so delivery can become a slightly more expensive option. Compare that with delivering weatherboard, Colorbond or blue board on the same truck as the rest of your Stage 1 materials and the savings start to add up.

Brick and stone are labour intensive and require specialised skills and equipment. Labour costs on a brick and stone build are much greater than that of a weatherboard build which can be completed by one to two people with minimal expertise and no specialised equipment needed

Maintenance

Maintaining your homes facade is an important consideration when selecting materials.

Paint - Weatherboard and blue board can require some upkeep with painting.

Termites / White Ants - Weathertex weatherboard is termite resistant whilst HardiPlank, brick, blue board and Colorbond are all termite proof.

Movement & Renovating - Weatherboard, Colorbond and blue board offer more flexibility compared bricks and mortar. Repairing any damaged areas due to ground movement is a much harder and more expensive prospect with brick. Apart from the skills needed to complete the repair, there is also the issue of matching the existing materials. Creating new door ways or windows into existing walls is a much easier process with weatherboard, blue board or Colorbond when compared to brick.

Warranties - Home-Build Concierge only recommend reputable manufacturers that offer impressive warranties. Be sure to enquire about warranties with your Home-Build Consultant.

Practicality

Here’s

Requires specialised equipment and professional installers. Physically demanding.

Works best on concrete slab or a basement.

Relatively easy to handle and work with. No real expertise or specialised tools required.

Lightweight material suits any foundation style including pier, joist and bearer

Relatively easy to handle and work with. Small level of expertise and safety needed. No real specialised tools required.

Lightweight material suits any foundation style including pier, joist and bearer

Requires specialised knowledge and skill. The material needs to be properly sealed and protected against the elements.

Lightweight material suits any foundation style including pier, joist and bearer

Relatively easy to handle and work with. No real expertise or specialised tools required. Particular care must be taken when cutting to avoid inhaling dust.

Lightweight material suits any foundation style including pier, joist and bearer

Regular painting and protection from pests Occasional painting Checklist

a quick checklist of things to consider before you start planning your dream home.